Infiltration
by moonatik
Summary: HanzoYukimura. Sorry but these guys need a fic. Rated M for future chapters. COMPLETE
1. Infiltration

I do not own Sengoku Musou or its characters, and certainly don't own the people they were inspired by.

**A/N:** Do you know how difficult it is to find this pairing? I'm not sure it actually exists! Shocking, I tell you! I think they are completely hot for each other. So I think they deserve a fic, no matter how challenging it will be to keep them in character.

I want to mention that this is based off of the first Sengoku Musou, and was mostly inspired by Hanzo's Tale.

So here we go...I will try to make this as epic as I can. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_Yawn._

The watchman snapped his jaws back together, puncutating with a lazy smack of his lips.

"Hey!"

The watchman glanced casually over his shoulder to see whom had spoke.

"Thank gods," he said, "It's about time, you rotten sack of beans."

"Shut up and go home to your ugly wife," the other guard responded. In light amusement, he shoved the guard he was relieving out of the way and took his post. The relieved watchman chuckled and left.

The watchman stood with barely contained bordeom. He lifted a chubby index finger and jammed it into his nose.

He could not have possibly noticed the shadow above him congeal and descend upon him like a guillotine. It struck the watchman down without a sound. The shadow then dashed along the wooden planks of the castle, light-footed enough not to trigger the suspicious sound of creaking wood that had purposely been installed when the castle was built.

The shadow leaped up expertly into a small storage room from where he could listen and observe the patrols. His keen senses pierced the dark of the sleeping castle, searching for his prey--Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

Sure that it was clear, he left his hiding spot to investigate deeper into Osaka Castle. With his kusarigama held firmly, he darted from room to room and listened intently for any change in the eerie silence that soaked the castle grounds. The quiet gave Hanzo a chill of doubt, but he had a mission to do--for his master's glory.

And then he heard something. Like an oasis in the desert, Hanzo was lured to its source. As the sounds grew louder with his approach, he almost chipped his stoic countenance with a smirk.

"Yu-Yuki-sama...Oh!"

Intermittent grunts were the reply. There was one particularly loud grunt before dead silence swept over again.

He knew what was going on in the next room; his one noteworthy obstacle, Yukimura Sanada, was getting his rocks off with some whore. It would have given him sick delight to interrupt their coitus with a few licks from his kusarigama, but it was neither his mission nor his desire to confront the crimson-clad samurai. He also knew that his master held him in high regard despite the fact that he was an enemy.

Hanzo took his perch on a cabinet, a spot that sufficiently draped him in shadow. He listened further.

"Yukimura, what's the matter with you lately?" the female asked.

A sigh.

"You know we can't chit-chat, Kunoichi. Hideyoshi needs our protection from that damned Hanzo." Yukimura said. Hanzo scoffed inwardly. It made sense, but it was nonetheless laughable that that joke of a ninja--the generically-named Kunoichi--would be sleeping with Yukimura. While mulling over the discovery, Hanzo could make out the clink and clang of armor being vested.

"Yuki...do you think I am a good ninja?" Kunoichi asked pointedly.

Yukimura sighed again. "Of course. You are my personal guard afterall." Yukimura replied.

"I mean, better than Hanzo?"

There was a pregnant pause. It became awkward, even for Hanzo, who wondered about Yukimura's hesitation.

"He said something to you, didn't he?" Yukimura asked rhetorically. Another pause. "We cannot ever underestimate Hanzo." he finally said. "I am going to go check on Hideyoshi-sama."

Hanzo heard Yukimura's footsteps walk away, but Hanzo was felt satisfied for having listened despite having to endure the whorish moans from Kunoichi. Firstly, he now had the chance to use Yukimura to lead him straight to his quarry. Secondly, he began to consider why Ieyasu wanted him to come to no harm if Hanzo could help it.

Hanzo moved gingerly to keep up with Yukimura, aware that Kunoichi had disappeared and was likely on patrol. He kept a healthy distance; he was sure Yukimura's strong spirit would be able to sense distortions in the shadows immediately around him. It would do no good at all if he even suspected that Hanzo had infilitrated on this night.

Yukimura approached a door and slid it open. He entered and paused to observe a figure nested under blankets in a richly-decorated bed. Satisfied, he then exited, closing the door behind him. As he was walking away, he paused suddenly.

Hanzo would not believe it if Yukimura could sense his presence. The shadow had attached himself to a corner where the wall met the high ceiling, far across from the room Yukimura had just left. The darkness soaked him like pitch, and Hanzo had consciously reduced his ki to a mere glimmer.

Then, Yukimura snapped his head around to his left, his gaze traveling just below where Hanzo was hanging.

'Impossible...' Hanzo thought, narrowing his eyelids.

Yukimura approached the bottom corner slowly like a cat on the hunt. He raised his spear defensively as he approached the darkness in the corner. He raised it higher as he approached, high enough to land a crushing blow...

The floor beneath Yukimura creaked, startling a rat that darted out of the darkness and scurried across the floor.

Yukimura dropped his stance, letting out a long breath. He shook his head with a slight smirk. He then turned his back to the corner to leave, not noticing the drop of persperation that had escaped Hanzo's brow.

Yukimura's footsteps grew fainter, but Hanzo resolved only to move until they were completely gone. Soon enough, once the complete silence resumed, he made his move toward Hideyoshi's chamber.

He opened and closed the sliding door without a sound as he slipped in. He approached the bed and looked over his objective who was buried beneath layers of bedding and pillows. Coldy and quietly, he placed his hand over the figure's mouth, turning him to expose the neck which he deftly split with his blade.

His eyes then widened in shock. What came away from the neck was not blood, but soft down. Confused, he stabbed at the mound beneath the blankets and once again his kusarigama came away with down.

'A decoy...'

"Gotcha!"

Hanzo turned to see a cherry blossom-colored kunoichi make a dive for his torso with twin daggers. He phased out of the way without a second to spare, and reformed behind his attacker.

"Tsk tsk tsk...Yukimura was unwise to use someone so foolish as his trap, as clever as it was." Hanzo said.

"Oooh!" Kunoichi fumed, making another quicky dive with her daggers. Though she was unnaturally quick, she sliced nothing but the air around Hanzo who used all directions to evade her. He made no attempt to use his own weapon, thinking that this undisciplined kunoichi could stand to learn from the humiliation.

She was nearly weeping as her empty swings began to exhaust her. Thinking her lesson over, Hanzo took advantage of her unravelled attempt to kill him and kicked her to the floor. He kicked her daggers out of reach before lifting her by the chin to expose her throat.

"Pathetic." He barked. "Although it is not my mission to kill you, I think you could stand to use a final lesson, young kunoichi. In the afterlife, remember that the art abandoned you for your mockery, and your flippancy is what destroyed you."

As he lowered his blade to her throat, his senses perked to attention. Instinctively, he lept into the air as a spear ripped through the door and sliced across where Hanzo had held Kunoichi.

Hanzo reappeared across the room and stood straight with arms crossed.

"Yukimura...Most impressive. Surely, if you could sense the pitiful ki of a rat, then you would surely not have missed our battle auras no matter where you were in the castle." Hanzo said.

"Hanzo! I will make you pay...for everything!" Yukimura declared, twirling his spear demonstratively. Kunoichi staggered to he feet and retreated behind Yukimura.

"It is not my mission to harm you." Hanzo replied.

"What do you mean 'it's not your mission'? If I have to defend Hideyoshi-sama with my life, then so be it!"

"My master requested you be unharmed, therefore I would suggest that you revel in such a compliment, no matter how indirect. But if you do stand in my way, I will spare no mercy."

Yukimura snarled before shouting "Then prepare yourself!"

He charged and swung viciously at Hanzo. The entire room seemed to darken, like clouds passing under an afternoon sun. As his blade fell, Hanzo's form phased and split into multiple illusions. The illusions surrounded the startled Yukimura.

It was unreal. Yukimura had no doubt then that he was dealing with a true master of shadow. He briefly wondered how one could contain such power for the sole use of an individual like Ieyasu. It crossed his mind that it was no different than any exceptional samurai who held a pure allegience to his lord.

But he had no time to mull over revelation. Adrenaline pounded in his ears. Yukimura raised his spear, waiting for Hanzo's move. Not knowing what told him to, he pivoted around just in time to parry Hanzo's strike. The illusions melded like a deck of cards into the true Hanzo.

"Excellent." Hanzo said.

Hanzo's eyes darted to glance over his shoulder, anticipating the incoming daggers behind him. He once again lept and somersaulted behind his female assailant.

"Unlike this one," Hanzo added. He raised his foot and kicked Kunoichi square in the back, sending her tumbling into the arms of Yukimura. He then used the opportunity to back out of the room and escape. Yukimura ran out to pursue, but could only watch as Hanzo faded into the dark.

"Dammit, you meanie!" Kunoichi shrieked at him. She looked up to study Yukimura's deadpan expression which was fixed on Hanzo's retreating form, then frowned. "Hey, Yuki! Are we just gonna let him get away?"

He looked down at her, retaining a far away expression. "Of course not," he said, "He won't be leaving until he has found Hideyoshi. Therefore he's not getting away, and I made sure of it. I have another trap in place in the event that this one failed."

Kunoichi looked down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Yukimura." she said.

Yukimura gave her a small smile. "Don't worry about it. We are up against a lord of shadow." At this, Kunoichi lifted her head and nodded.

* * *

By the by, I wrote a lot of this story before deciding to post it, but decided to split it into smaller chapters.  



	2. Decoy!

Despite having been seen by Yukimura, Hanzo knew could not yet leave the premises. He still had precious little time to find Hideyoshi and kill him before he could flee. 

He wasted no time checking rooms and executing sentries. Finally, he came across a door at the top of the castle that looked very wide and very royal. He approached it cautiously. Silently, he split the doors apart and shut it behind him. In the blackness he heard someone speak.

"Who's there!"

Hanzo narrowed his eyes, letting his ears pinpoint the source.

"Who's there!" the voice squeaked again.

"Hideyoshi Toyotomi?" Hanzo thundered.

"Y-yes?"

"Perish."

Hanzo dove and sliced at the origin of the voice.

"Urrrk!" the figure gurgled before falling with a satisfying thump.

Hanzo, now focused on escape, was surprised to hear a loud clang, like the slamming of a portcullis very nearby...so nearby, it sounded like it came from behind the door to the very room he was in.

'Another decoy...???'

He rushed to the sound of the clang and felt for the sliding door. He opened it to reveal that he had indeed been trapped in the room.

"Seems you are still human afterall, Hanzo." said a figure who was approaching him.

Hanzo regarded him. "Hideyoshi Toyotomi."

Hideyoshi smiled wickedly. "Yukimura is as clever as he is powerful, wouldn't you say?"

Hanzo remained silent.

"Guards!" Hideyoshi called. Swarms of troops appeared, including Yukimura as well as a unit of riflemen who took their aim.

"Subdue this criminal and throw him in the basement."

A few troops went into an adjacent room and cranked the bars upward. Taking note of the riflemen, Hanzo dropped his weapon and made no effort to defend himself, but he was nonetheless struck in the abdomen with the blunt end of Yukimura's spear. He doubled over, and his ribs were met with the blunt force of Yukimura's foot. He fell to the ground where troops tied him and dragged him to the basement prison. 


	3. Prison

The basement was deathly vacant and the smell of mold and rot was thick. The rambunctious shoutings of the soldiers faded, and all Hanzo could hear was the faint drippings of water leaking through the foundation.

Before being thrown into his dank and infested cell, Hanzo was stripped and searched for weaponry, save for his mask. Hanzo learned from the careless yammerings of his cellkeepers that Yukimura himself ordered it not to be removed under no circumstances. Yukimura was a puzzle, he would give him that. Though it was not a mystery he really cared to have solved, he did hope that understanding someone like Yukimura would come to him over time. 

Though the rest of his gear had be confiscated, he was no less affiliated with the dark. He crouched in a corner, where the shadow was thick.

"Not so tough now, are you?"

The voice stabbed through the peace of his predicament, and he glanced up to acknowledge the Lady Kunoichi's smug expression. 

"You should have know you would be no match for my Yukimura." she declared.

"Indeed," was Hanzo's curt reply.

Kunoichi twisted her lips, not knowing whether she should feel triumphant with his blaze' admission. There was silence between them for a moment.

"If you are here to mock me further to comfort your childish insecurities, then do get on with it." Hanzo said.

"You are in no place to talk to me like that. I will be happy to see you executed for your insults!" Kunoichi tossed back venomously.

"That's enough, Kunoichi." another voice called.

Both Kunoichi and Hanzo turned to regard the approaching figure. The torchlight revealed it to be Yukimura. He halted beside Kunoichi and regarded Hanzo, hunched in a dark corner, partially naked--like some captured beast. Pity crept from his heart into his features, but he mentally pushed it back down.

"Hideyoshi-sama wants you executed as soon as possible. He wants to wound Ieyasu, though he is out of our reach." Yukimura said coldly. 

"Therefore, I've come to give you this-" Yukimura started. With his words he brandished a long, sharp dagger. "-for you to do the honorable thing." The dagger glinted in the firelight before Yukimura tossed the weapon through the bars onto the straw before Hanzo.

Hanzo remained silent and motionless. Yukimura was conflicted, for Hanzo was the only thing in his life he could never quite anticipate. He rode a high of pride for hours after finally being one step ahead in capturing him. Gazing at him now, the victory suddenly felt hollow. Even now, he honestly had no clue what Hanzo's move would be. He wished he could have had more opportunity to observe him.

Yukimura was not willing to stay long. He turned to leave and give Hanzo the courtesy of privacy. "Come, Kunoichi," he beckoned. Reluctantly, Kunoichi unglued herself and followed. 

Hanzo made no move toward the dagger. He knew he could do it if he had to. Instead he closed his eyes and began to meditate. 

Time passed. Hanzo did not know or care how much before he opened his eyes. He fixed them onto the dagger still laying before him. With a silent resolve, he moved to reach for it.

"You should at least have a last meal before you do that."

Hanzo glanced up from the dagger to the owner of that voice which was becoming more familiar.

Yukimura slid a tray with a bowl of rice gruel and what Hanzo presumed to be green tea. 

"I snuck you a bit of warm sake. I thought you'd appreciate it," Yukimura paused. "Even though you'll be spilling it out of your guts anyway," he remarked somberly. 

"What's with you?" Hanzo asked pointedly.

Yukimura didn't want to answer that question. He actually didn't have a good one yet to give.

"I don't know," was the only answer he could immediately manage. He heard Hanzo puff out a quiet laugh. Yukimura then decided to pull it together.

"You fascinate me. You have been my greatest adversary, and still are, even with the way you are now." Yukimura hesitated. "And even though I think you are the most dishonorable son of a bitch I have ever met, I know that your loyalty to the Tokugawa is no less stronger than my dedication to Hideyoshi-sama. That in itself is...admirable," Yukimura cringed at the compliment, and paused to see if Hanzo would interject, but silence reigned. So he continued awkwardly.

"Kunoichi feels the same loyalty for me, but you two are very much opposites. Ninjitsu is a game to her; but it is truly an art, isn't it?"

Yukimura stopped, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Hanzo's silence made it seem like he was talking to himself.

Shockingly, Hanzo rose to his feet and approached the bars separating the two. The torchlight illuminated him with a soft sanguine glow, and it was then that Yukimura noticed that Hanzo was barely clothed after being searched. He was shoeless, and his tattered pants draped loosely around his copper-shaded thighs. His finely chisled, bare torso was riddled with scars, large and small. It wasn't unbecoming for Hanzo, whom Yukimura would have pegged to have a rather checkered past anyway. The only thing intact was the mask, out of which Hanzo stared directly at him. 

The look gave Yukimura an inexplicable, anxious chill.

"Do not doubt that it is as weighty a discipline as bushido. This is what your young kunoichi seems to forget. Now you have captured a real shadow, which you find opposing and therefore dishonorable. Yet you are merciful, even to the darkness. For that you are my greatest adversary, and are the most honorable son of a bitch I have ever met," Hanzo said. He then bent down to pick up the tray of food and brought it back to the corner. Yukimura, meanwhile, was visibly stunned. Having no more to say, Yukimura left him to eat. 

Hanzo had finished the gruel quickly, but took time to savor the bitter comfort of the sake. He held the dagger now, turning it over and over in his palm. 

His attention was jarred when he heard someone stumble down the basement corridor. Once again, he laid eyes on what looked like Yukimura, but with a vastly higher blood alcohol content. He rested his forehead on an arm which was bracing him on the bars of Hanzo's cell, while a jug of what was probably sake dangled in his other hand. 

"We're celebrating...and I thought you might want 'nother drink?" he slurred, lifting the jug and giving it a shake. "Don't worry, I said I was taking over the guard post to personally make sure you didn't try something too clever for the numbskulls we have around here."

Hanzo smirked behind his mask, and got up to offer his mug. Yukimura sloppily poured to the brim. Yukimura then stepped away from the bars to lean against the wall behind him. He slid down, his armor scraping unpleasantly against the stone brickes and sat heavily on the grimy floor. 

He was rather intoxicated, but he noticed the rigidity of Hanzo's posture.

"Relax," he said.

Hanzo remained on the balls of his feet, lifting up his mask carefully to take a sip of the steaming liquid. Yukimura shrugged, figuring he'd just suit himself, and respectfully averted his gaze when Hanzo went to drink.

Hanzo looked into his mug before asking, "Was it actually you that thought up that decoy trick?"

"Yep," was the response.

"And you actually had the jewels to use a live person the second time."

"I would have done whatever it took to capture you."

"Your honor allowed for me to butcher somebody for the sake of apprehending me?"

"He was a criminal."

Hanzo snorted.

"We're all criminals, some just advertise it more loudly than others," Hanzo said. 

Yukimura understood his meaning, but he was not going to let his irritation give into the insult. 

"Well shit, at least I don't keep secrets about it," Yukimura said. 

"I am an extension of my master's will. That is no secret."

"Maybe the secret is why your master feels he needs an extension in the first place," Yukimura retorted. He smirked as the words flew out of his mouth, but couldn't contain his amusement. He started to laugh.

"Oh, come on," Yukimura said. He was then pleased to hear Hanzo chuckle into his sake.

The ninja had grown tired of squatting and sat with his legs stretched out in front of him. Together they looked like a pathetic pair of sorry drunks.

"You probably shouldn't be down here," Hanzo remarked seriously. 

"Whoa, I didn't know you were this chatty when you've had only a little," Yukimura said, trying for deflection. He then silently apologized for his weak attempt with a fallen expression. "Kunoichi will probably be looking for me soon. I told her I'd be off on patrol and to enjoy the party. She gets pushy when she has a drink, and I'm just not in the mood tonight." He took another swig. Hanzo did the same while studying him.

"I'd rather have some man-to-man talk. We still have a lot to settle, you and I but I'm afraid my time has come," Yukimura said.

"Your time?" Hanzo questioned.

Yukimura, with a sober glaze smearing his countenance, looked up to meet Hanzo's eyes. 

"We're celebrating, but I'll be damned if I know why. This war is over for us. Capturing you just delayed the inevitable. We can't hole ourselves up in this castle forever while the Tokugawa bring this country together around us. When the time comes, I will have to fall on my blade as an offering to a new era of peace." Yukimura raised his drink.

"We are going to die out, you know?" he finished, tilting the jug and flooding his mouth with another long sip.

Hanzo was quiet, but not for the sake of brevity like usual. He found himself struggling. He was not used to these open heart chats.

He then decided to speak, but cautiously. "You don't think you will be remembered?"

Yukimura attention lifted and focused on Hanzo, spurring him to elaborate.

"History will remember dedicated and able samurai like yourself. For that you'll live on forever."

Yukimura seemed to like this answer, but then frowned. "And you?"

Hanzo took a moment to form his thoughts. "Perhaps it is necessary for our lives to be extinguished as remnants of our time. There will be no place for us. As for me, I am my master's humble shadow, and I will disappear once he basks in the light of victory. My fate is irrelevant so long as my master achieves honor and glory, and it matters not if history remembers me. If it remembers my master, then my efforts will not have been wasted." 

"Besides," he went on, "whether we were meant to win or lose, or to live or die in the chaos, won't this peace be our ultimate legacy?"

He did not know what was coming over him that made him become so personal with his captor. He cursed the sake and decided to feign drinking for the rest of the time.

Yukimura, however, was silent at his words, and while he spoke he studied him, tilting his head which started to feel like it was loaded with bricks. The flicker of the torch washed Hanzo's form in a flattering glow, the contrast both revealing and leaving parts to the imagination. Hanzo's sagacious words combined with the way Hanzo was sitting--legs slightly spread apart in front of him while leaning himself back against the wall and exposing his slender but well-defined midsection--triggered an unsettling feeling in Yukimura. He attempted to purge his unwelcome reactions with the burn of sake down his throat; but more than ever he now wanted to see who was behind that damned mask. 

Hanzo then shifted, bring his legs underneath him as he sat on his knees like a monk. He then pressed the tip of the dagger against his belly.

"You may leave now," he said.

"No, Hanzo, wait," Yukimura said hurriedly, stumbling to his feet and shaking his head which was beginning to pound. Hanzo looked at him.

"I've decided," he began, focusing through his inebriated haze. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be willing to do this, and please be assured that I thought about this before hitting the bottom of this bottle," to which he gestured. He put up a finger, signaling Hanzo to wait for a minute as he checked around the corridor to ensure that they had some privacy.

"Listen, I'm going to unlock this cell. It is on your honor to choose whether you want to leave or to stay," he said in a hushed tone. "But if you do decide to escape, for gods' sake, do not let me see you!" And with that, he took the key and unlocked Hanzo's cell. He turned to leave, faltering a little as he did so.

"Why?" Hanzo asked.

Yukimura smirked, but did not turn around. "Because I take it back. You're not the most dishonorable man I have ever met." He took a step.

"Hey," Hanzo called. Yukimura looked at him over his shoulder.

Hanzo then took the bottom edge of his mask between his fingers. He carefully lifted the mask up and off. 

Yukimura's eyes went wide. He was not sure if he should have felt flattered, but he took the opportunity to study what was offered. His hair was done up in a tight bun, and a few strands pointed down to his angular face. Like his torso, his face was marked with multiple scars, with a deep one in particular that marred him across the bridge of his nose. They were not particularly disfiguring, for the rest of his face appeared unblemished and otherwise had very handsome features. Yukimura swallowed, noting that his throat had gone dry.

Hanzo lifted his mug in toast. "Perhaps we'll meet again in an era of peace."

Yukimura turned back around to conceal his smile, but strangely his smile faded when he felt his chest constrict with a powerful yearning. He didn't just feel flattered that Hanzo showed his face to him. He actually felt rather honored. 

The momentous event gave him inexplicable reassurance; he did not believe that this would the last time they would meet. 


	4. Admission

Yukimura awoke to shouting, shouting that made him feel like he was inside a war drum. He immediately felt sick, and thought briefly about the pros and cons of cutting one's stomach out.

"Yukimura-sama!" called an excited Kunoichi.

"Oh, god," Yukimura said under his breath as he clutched his throbbing skull. 

"Yukimura-sama! The prisoner has escaped! You and Hideyoshi-sama are not safe!" Kunoichi said rather gaily while scrambling to assist the crimson samurai. 

Yukimura furrowed his brow, momentarily fighting off the headache to jumble all of what Kunoichi had just said into a coherent thought. Realization then dawned on him, and he had to consciously suppress a grin.

"Hanzo has escaped?!" he asked loudly, hoping his acting skills did the job. "What on earth happened?"

"My lord, we are investigating what happened, but it appears he opened his cell somehow and incapacitated the prison guard who relieved you," Kunoichi explained. "what were you doing down there, anyway? I thought you were on patrol?"

Yukimura ignored her and went to summon his top aides.

"I need everyone up and to search the premises quickly! If he is still here, we have to find him! Let no one search by themselves, and do not let any corner be left unchecked!" he ordered. The aides bowed and left to do what they were bade to.

Yukimura then hurried down to the open cell that had kept Hanzo. Soldiers were about, checking for clues. Yukimura stepped inside the cell, and looked about when a faint glinting caught his eye. He reached down and lifted the dagger he gave Hanzo out of the straw. He studied it while turning it in his hand.

"What is the meaning of this!" a voice shouted. Yukimura turned to see Hideyoshi, who had also been summoned in the commotion, furiously stomping down the corridor to Yukimura. 

Yukimura put on his best face. "I'm sorry, Hideyoshi-sama. I gave him this dagger to kill himself with, but it looks like he picked the lock with it instead," he said.

"Y-...you did what!" Hideyoshi boomed. "You knew I wanted him executed!"

"Yes, my lord."

"Yukimura," Hideyoshi's voice dropped to just above a whisper, but he bruised Yukimura instead with a stern look. "You know you are like a son to me. But believe me when I say that if you were any other man, I would have made you carry out Hanzo's sentence in his place. Word has it that the Tokugawa forces are marching. We cannot afford to have mistakes like this being made!"

Yukimura dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "My lord, I am willing to do anything you will so I may absolve myself," he said.

Hideyoshi nodded. "All right then. Once we have confirmation of Ieyasu's intent to take this castle, I want you serving on the front line. If there is anyone we can place our faith in to stop the Tokugawa advance, it will be you."

"I understand, my lord." Yukimura said while rising to his feet.

Hideyoshi patted him roughly on the shoulder, then turned to leave. He was soon replaced by one of Yukimura's servants who rushed to kneel before him.

"My lord," the servant said, "we have looked everywhere, and have found no trace of Hanzo, save for his equipment we confiscated being missing as well."

Yukimura laughed inwardly. "Figures," he said, more to himself. He cleared his throat. "Thank you. That will be all."

The servant made another bow before exiting.

Yukimura remained in place. When he had picked up the dagger, an ominous feeling washed over him like a poison that paralyzed him slowly. He felt heavy, feeling as though he had deeply regretted his actions from the night before. No, what he regretted was that matter what he had done, or what he could do in the future, that things could not possibly end well. It was simply part of the times he had been born into.

------------------------------

"Oh...Yukimura-sama!"

Yukimura thrust his tongue into her engorged slit, stroking the tip roughly against her inner walls.

"Yes!" Kunoichi sighed, squirming to press Yukimura's expert tongue further into her recesses.

He pampered her roughly with his mouth before switching to his fingers. He inserted two and stroked her fast and deep.

Her moans were gaining strength and tempo as he sped up his work, bringing her oh-so-close to the edge before pulling his juice-covered hand away from her soaking need.

"Nnn...no! Don't stop..." Kunoichi groaned. Her disappointment disappeared when she felt Yukimura pressed the tip of his shaft against her opening. With a sharp thrust he entered her and they instantly fell into their rhythm. 

Yukimura thrust into her desperately, but he knew that he would have trouble finishing. He bent down to suck one of Kunoichi's nipples into his mouth, eliciting a vocal approval from her.

He was worried about what the problem was. Lately he had to put forth considerable mental effort to climax, whether by himself or with Kunoichi.

He felt Kunoichi buck and spasm beneath him, squeezing his member with delicious velvet. He felt himself twitch, but cursed inwardly; he could not release. He pulled out of her while she was coming down from her orgasm.

Kunoichi was quickly regaining her breath, but did not fail to notice Yukimura's still straining erection. 

"You didn't come?" Kunoichi said, more as a remark than a question. Yukimura shook his head and gathered her up into his arms. He gave her a light peck on the top of her head. He didn't see Kunoichi frown.

"Do you find me attractive anymore?" she asked.

Yukimura didn't want to discuss this at all, but he knew he needed to take responsibility. With a hand he tilted Kunoichi's face up to look at him.

"You're beautiful," he said. "I don't think that is the problem at all." Yukimura thought for a moment. "Ieyasu's troops are nearing Osaka everyday," he began, "and they'll devour us like wolves if I can't do something about it. I must be a bit anxious about it."

"A ibit/i? If it's enough to interfere with your performance in bed, I'd say you're nothing but nerves," Kunoichi said with a giggle. Yukimura smiled at her. 

"I'm going to go wash up," he said. He got up and put on a loose kimono, before heading outdoors to the river. His discomfort from his arousal faded as he reached the banks and shed his garments.

He waded into the cool water, adjusting to the temperature before he began to sling handfuls of it over his bare back and rubbing off the grime and sweat from his upper body. He loved bathing for the solitude, solitude which gave him a quiet mind for once. The water lapping at his flesh enchanced this rare moment of peace he was able to enjoy. He eventually finished with his torso before moving on to clean off the slimy sex still clinging to his genitalia. 

Though he merely meant to clean himself with this excursion, he found that he was unable to resist touching himself further. He discovered that the pressure behind his desire had not left him, and his need was fiercely awakened yet again. He gripped his growing shaft and shamelessly began to pump it.

He closed his eyes, imagining nothing in particular at first, merely reveling in pleasing himself just how he wanted to. His thoughts drifted until a certain masked figure appeared in his head. Involuntarily, he stroked himself more rapidly. 

As if the rational part of him were unconscious, he let his mind conjure more images of Hanzo. Mental snapshots of his taut biceps, rugged abs, and slender waist cycled through his mind in a whirlwind. He imagined his face, revealed to him on that one night, that scarred, handsome face that only he knew, with piercing eyes and full lips. His mind then landed on Hanzo's stony, slender thighs, draped with only shreds of cloth, and his attention drew higher up those legs until he imagined what it would feel like to hold Hanzo in his palm...

He was shocked from his trance as he felt himself tighten and come hard, spewing multiple strands of his fluid from where the tip was surfacing out of the water.

His mind paralyzed with unbelief at what just occurred, he absent-mindedly left the river and put his garments back on. While on the way back to the castle, he realized that his sexual problems had started after that one cursed night with Hanzo. 

The implications were painful to admit. And Yukimura nearly wept. 


	5. Siege

**A/N:** This chapter is about the siege of Osaka, obviously based largely on the game. I wanted to note that I am aware of the historical inaccuracies of the game, but I did attempt to synthesize the game's presentation of the siege with what actually happened. I hope you dear readers accept my account, especially since it's hard (for me anyway) to write about battles and make them interesting. For this chapter, I hope things at least make some sense at least.

Thank you!

------------------------------

Hanzo sat cross-legged, arms folded, jiggling slightly as the wagon he perched on trembled over the coarse dirt road. The weather was suffocating; the air flooded with summertime humidity and the dull ring of cicadas.

They were finally marching onto Osaka itself. Its grand castle was visible though they were still many kilometers away. Its guilded rooftops gleamed when the early afternoon sun was able to strike through the dark rainclouds that were gathering.

He had only been away a few months since his botched mission. After he had escaped thanks to that foolish, brave red samurai, he had been no less willing to end his life by his own hand for his failure.

"Hanzo has returned?" said Ieyasu back then. "Show him in immediately!"

Hanzo was led in by one of his master's aides, and once Hanzo stopped he immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head low.

"Well? Is Hideyoshi dead?" Ieyasu asked, doing his best to maintain control over his anxiety.

"I have failed you, master."

Ieyasu studied him in disbelief. "Then why have you returned? What on earth happened, Hanzo?"

Hanzo explained the details of his capture and encounter with Yukimura. He then offered to share details of the castle layout as well as the approximate numbers and capability Hideyoshi had with Ieyasu's strategists, along with details about the Sanada-maru under construction.

"But," Hanzo said, "I was unable to do as you wished, and therefore I am no longer worthy to be your shadow."

Ieyasu pondered a moment. "No! Oh no, Hanzo. You have done very well, and I am pleased to see that you were able to come back alive. The information you have gathered is invaluable, and I will surely require your skills further, so we can put down this last threat to peace and stability. I am counting on you, and do not feel ashamed."

The wound to his honor still felt raw, despite what his master had said to him then. Nonetheless, if his master required him, he would continue to do his duty.

He also thought of Yukimura. He had no doubt he would have to face him in battle once again. Though he was disciplined enough not to give the feeling much consideration, the thought of it lifted his spirits.

------------------------------

"Preparations are complete!"

Yukimura acknowledged the peon, then moved to stand along the edge of the massive barbacan that had been completed a few days ago--just in time. Within a short radius of the wall were all the forces the Toyotomi clan could muster, breaking camp and preparing themselves for the monster coming over the horizon. From his vantage point atop Sanada-maru, Yukimura could view his own troops as well as glimpse the flood of enemies growing quickly just beyond the outskirts. He sighed.

"What are we doing? You know we can't beat that many!" quipped Kunoichi behind him.

Yukimura looked over his shoulder at her, and sighed again. "I know," he said quietly, turning to face Kunoichi. "But I swear I will kill Ieyasu with my own hands before he even steps foot inside the castle!"

"Wow...we're really in for it, no?"

Yukimura nodded. "I guess so!" he said, smiling. "With any luck, someone will live to remember us and what we did here."

Kunoichi smiled and bobbed her head.

"The enemy is approaching!" a sentry shouted.

Yukimura turned around, and sure enough the grassy land just beyond the city was swiftly becoming a churning sea of blue armor.

------------------------------

The sky grew overcast as the day waned. Ieyasu's forces had reached the town limits, and within hours they had penetrated through most of the city with little resistance. Ieyasu's vast army positioned themselves around Osaka castle, leaving little hope for Yukimura and his men. All Yukimura could do was try to defend whatever Ieyasu planned to throw at them.

"Men!" Ieyasu bellowed, pulling his mount to and fro before the wide length of his front line. "The Toyotomi are the last boulder in the way of returning peace and prosperity to the land! Fight valiantly and together we shall finally banish the chaos!" Ieyasu followed up with a thunderous battle cry that was answered by his men in kind.

Assured that his men were fully pepped, Ieyasu withdrew to his makeshift camp where he found Hanzo on his knee and awaiting his orders.

"Ah, Hanzo," Ieyasu said. "When this battle begins, I want you to make another attempt at Hideyoshi's life amidst the chaos. Make whatever necessary preparations."

Hanzo stood and bowed in acknowledgement before vanishing.

------------------------------

Across the way, on the other side of Sanada-maru, Yukimura sat tall upon his ashen-white steed giving a line of his best cavalrymen a similar speech.

"Fellow countrymen! The Tokugawa is nothing but a mangy pack of wolves, who want nothing but to devour our way of life!" he cried. "Do not fear the jaws of this beast! They will break against our walls like the tide! Do not abandon me, and you will find glory!" He then let loose a mighty roar, lifting his spear as he did so, and his men did the same. Yukimura shouted a few more times before commanding his horse to gallop over to where he had stationed his men along Sanada-maru.

"Well?" he shouted to one of the sentries.

"My lord!" he answered. "Here they come!"

Yukimura could then make out the frenzied battle shouts growing louder behind the wall.

Ieyasu's siege of Osaka had begun.

------------------------------

Twighlight descended, further darkening the land already shadowed by pregnant rainclouds. Thunder rolled through the air laden with the stench of blood and gunpowder.

Ieyasu's first waves had hit Sanada-maru and scattered under gunfire, just as Yukimura anticipated. However, the walls offered little to stand in the way of Ieyasu's plan B--his legion of artillery. As the walls of Sanada-maru began to crumble, Yukimura was forced to acknowledge that there was no use delaying the inevitable. With his morale fading, he resolved to attempt a critical blow to the enemy.

With his cavalry behind him, he brought his steed to a halt before the gates installed between the barbacan. He turned to face his men.

"Listen, men!" He thundered. "When these gates open, you will follow my charge that will lead us straight into the heart of the enemy!" He paused. "I want you all to know, that it is my greatest honor to lead the best cavalry in the world! We alone can make this possible! Do not stop until we have taken Ieyasu's head! Ride and fight with honor!"

His rallying speech was answered with booming shouts and bellows. Freshly inspired, Yukimura turned and shouted his orders to the gatekeepers.

"Open the gates!"

The massive doors whined as they parted excruciatingly slow.

Yukimura did not yet move.

The gates were pulled completely apart with resounding clang. Simultaneously, a bolt of white lightning ripped apart the heavens above and rain poured down in torrents.

Yukimura lifted his spear and screamed his fury, kicking his horse into a full charge out the gates. His cavalry were close behind with their battle shouts. The commotion startled and scattered Ieyasu's troops just outside the wall who attempted to flee from the ferocious stampede. The earth was rapidly converted a muddy strip of flypaper, a death trap of bleeding and broken warriors who succumbed to the charge.

The charge made it mostly intact from the castle grounds to the inner city, but lost traction as the wall of cavalry gradually divided in the labyrinth of streets. "Follow me!" Yukimura would shout over the rain, however his focus was positively demonic; Yukimura cut down or crushed everyone who was in his path as though he were lusting in it, determined more than ever to at least see Ieyasu face-to-face. He flipped back his matted hair and peered through the relentless downpour, to maintain his bearings.

------------------------------

Ieyasu, meanwhile, was hearing the news from the front lines: that Yukimura had given up on Sanada-maru and was leading a daredevil charge into the inner city. Both pleased as well as greatly worried, he then turned to Hanzo beside him.

"It's time," he said.

Hanzo nodded and disappeared from the tent. Ieyasu himself stepped outside his windblown tent into the soaking rain and looked over the neighborhoods before him. He was perturbed by the news about Yukimura. 'Yukimura is an exceptionally brave and capable man, but certainly he could not penetrate this far,' Ieyasu thought.

His heart began to pound in earnest, however, when his ears caught a great commotion swelling not far from where he was standing.

"It's Sanada!" someone yelled.

"He is a demon!"

The troops surrounding Ieyasu's tent began to panic. Inwardly, Ieyasu trembled with fright and his pulse slammed in his ears. He would not allow himself to panic as well in front of his men, and so he retreated inside his tent. "Oh, god," he whispered to himself.

------------------------------

Yukimura had finally caught sight the main camp. He was alone now, exhausted and having lost his momentum as he and his horse waded impossibly through mud, blades, and projectiles. Despite the odds, he continued to gain precious inches toward his objective.

"Ieyasu!" he shouted hoarsely, rearing up his horse and waving his weapon in a fearsome display. "Show yourself! I have come to kill you!"

His eyes then darted to notice a dark figure hopping past him along the rooftops toward Osaka castle.

'It couldn't be!' he thought. 'Hanzo?!'

He spun around on his horse, deflecting spears as he did so. He had come so far!

'My lord is in grave danger...I have to stop him.'

He kicked the sides of his horse and forced it into a gallop after Hanzo, but much to the confusion of Ieyasu's soldiers.

When the discontinuation of Yukimura's assault was reported to Ieyasu, it took a minute for realization to dawn on him.

"Yukimura is fleeing?" an advisor asked. He then cowered under the humbling glare Ieyasu threw at him.

"No, Yukimura is the bravest samurai this world has ever known. He is not fleeing," Ieyasu said. He then smiled. "

"He is chasing my shadow."


	6. Reunion

**A/N: **Here's the chapter most of you have probably been waiting for! As a WARNING, this chapter does contain graphic descriptions of consensual sex between two males. But if that happens to be your cup of tea, then ENJOY:-)

Also, I will be working on a concluding chapter, so stay tuned for that! Thanks again for reading!

* * *

Hanzo was bouncing toward Osaka castle with inhuman grace and speed. It was only thanks to Yukimura's knowledge of the city that he was able to weave through the dense neighborhoods keep up with him on his horse. The chase led them to a deserted section of the city that had been evacuated long ago.

When he was close enough within earshot, Yukimura called to him.

"Hanzo!"

Hanzo did not stop or even slow down.

"Hanzo! Hey!"

Still no reaction, which only served to infuriate Yukimura.

Yukimura kept his pursuit. Despite Hanzo's speed, he was no match for a horse. Yukimura seized his advantage and attempted closed the distance.

"Hanzo! Stop right there!" he tried one more time. No reaction.

"Damn you!" Yukimura yelled. With Hanzo getting closer to being able to scale past the castle walls, and left with no other option, Yukimura channeled his rage into firing his spear like a javelin at Hanzo.

Surprised, Hanzo reacted in time to dodge the missile as it collided with the rooftop under his feet, but sacrificed his footing in the process. He, along with the spear and shreds of roofing, fell with the rain onto the muddy street below.

Yukimura instantly lept off his still-galloping horse to retrieve his weapon and point it squarely at Hanzo.

Hanzo sat up and rubbed his back, opening an eye to look down the weapon trained on him and into Yukimura's eyes. He smiled mischeviously under the mask.

"Impressive," he said, "but it looks like you lack the strength left to challenge me."

Yukimura blinked, for once noting that his lungs were painfully struggling to gulp down enough air and that the bruises and abrasions he suffered during his charge felt anything but minor.

In a black flash, Hanzo gripped his weapon and brought it across to knock Yukimura's spear out of his face and leap onto his feet. Hanzo then took his battle stance with his kusarigama in front of him.

"Focus!" he scolded.

Yukimura closed his eyes and gripped his spear with all the rage he could muster, rage that was bubbling up from his stomach and made him feel like an exploding volcano. It was not the rage he typically reserved for his enemies, but a fury stemming from his hatred of these chaotic times that dictated his destiny.

"Hanzo..." he began, his voice surprisingly restrained. "I just can't let you win. I hope you can forgive me."

Hanzo did not reply, but felt what he thought was a touch of sympathy for the crimson samurai.

Yukimura's eyes snapped open and he roared. He then brought his spear up and charged at Hanzo, swinging viciously and accurately. Hanzo lept away at the last moment and then sprinted toward Yukimura with his blade ready to strike.

Yukimura struggled to keep his opponent at length with his spear. He knew Hanzo was meticulously aiming his blows in order to expose Yukimura underneath his red armor, for his shallow blade was not meant to penetrate heavy leather easily. As Hanzo went in to slice off the shoulder strap of his breastplate, Yukimura took the opportunity to land a bone-crushing blow with the butt of his spear that sent Hanzo reeling into a deep mud pool. He barely managed to recover before he lept to dodge the incoming spear point brought down, shattering the earth instead of his skull. Yukimura pulled his spear out of the mud and pursued with violent swings that Hanzo could only hope to dodge.

And with one particular swing, Yukimura took aim for Hanzo's face. Hanzo turned a cheek in time for the edge to graze him.

He then lept back, forced to note that his mask had been damaged and blood was spilling from the cut on his cheek.

Yukimura paused as well to catch his breath. His breastplate was now dangling off of one shoulder. He straightened, brought his hand across to the other straps and ripped off the breastplate. He tossed the item into the mud and resumed his fighting stance.

Hanzo smiled wickedly before lifting a hand to rip off his mask. His tea-colored hair, wrapped in a loose bun, quickly blended into a dark coffee under the deluge still pouring out from above.

Yukimura attacked with renewed ferocity. Hanzo lept away, leading Yukimura into an abandoned household to implement the next phase of his strategy.

Yukimura, blinded with bloodlust, followed Hanzo into the home. He swatted at Hanzo with difficulty, knocking and shattered his surroundings. He destroyed the kitchen before pursuing Hanzo into a wider common room. He swung his spear with a miss, an cursed when it embedded itself into another wooden wall.

"Not so good with your spear in tight spaces, are you?" Hanzo said.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Yukimura spat.

Yukimura, however, mentally noted the correct observation, and his bloodlust caved under the realization of having fallen for yet another one of Hanzo's traps. Splinters flew as he yanked the spear out of the wall.

Yukimura then dropped the weapon and bowed his head. Covered in mud and drenched in rain and sweat, the warriors stood facing each other in the common room of the home, cold and silent as fresh snow.

Hanzo then lifted his kusarigama and went in for the kill. As he brought his weapon down at an angle to split Yukimura's throat, he was visibly surprised when Yukimura snapped his arm out to block with a vicelike grip on his weaponhand.

Yukimura brought his other fist to connect squarely with Hanzo's sliced cheek, and pushed Hanzo back and against the wall. He brought Hanzo's weaponhand up and brought the chain of the kusarigama up to press against Hanzo's throat. Hanzo managed just in time to snake his hand inbetween and save his larynx. Their faces were centimeters apart, and Yukimura could feel the ragged breathing of the cornered ninja on his cheek.

Yukimura pressed harder against him with his teeth clenched. His face fell, though, when he saw Hanzo's neck throb and his face transform under the pressure. It was a horrifying glimpse of death that he was not ready to inflict.

Hanzo noted a tear that left Yukimura's eye and absorbed into his damp cheeks. He felt Yukimura loosen his hold.

"I'm sorry, Hanzo," he whispered.

Thunder rumbled through the house.

He then leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Hanzo's lips.

Hanzo's eyes widened in surprise, but he made no effort to disengage. They lingered for an indiscernable amount of time.

Yukimura moved to pull back his own lips, but was surprised to feel Hanzo lean forward and roughly crush his mouth back onto his. The kusarigama fell to the floor with a clang as both warriors freed their hands in order to grab each other as their kiss deepened into a searing clash of tongues.

Yukimura's mind was spinning. The adrenaline that transformed his body into a war machine was shocked into becoming fuel for his repressed, aching desire for Hanzo. The smell of sweat and rain was now all too pungent an aphrodisiac, and combined with the reality of Hanzo's own ravenous appetite, the red samurai wondered if he would wake up.

But Yukimura didn't care either way once Hanzo broke the kiss to nip Yukimura's neck and then to taste his ear with strokes of his velvet tongue. The ninja also moved his hands to rest on Yukimura's waist, still clad in thick armor. He bit down on the ridge of Yukimura's ear, releasing a grunt from the samurai.

"Off," Hanzo grumbled.

Yukimura's hands went to fumble with his waistguard, threading the numerous ties and clasps through his fingers. His desire twitched under the snug restraints of his gear, and was relieved to gradually loosen the burden.

When Yukimura began to push off his leathery garments, Hanzo stopped him. He then leaned the samurai back and onto the floor where he took control. The ninja gently brought the waistguard, along with his britches, under Yukimura's buttocks and left them at his knees. Yukimura sighed once his penis sprang free and bobbed heavily in the cool evening air. Feeling a tinge of self-consciousness, he looked down his body to see Hanzo's eyes aflame with lust as he gazed upon Yukimura's evident arousal. Yukimura groaned and felt become even harder at the sight.

"H-Hanzo," he croaked. The ninja put a finger to his own lips and Yukimura took the cue to silence himself. Hanzo traveled up Yukimura's body and their lips met again in what Yukimura could only think of as deep and loving. While they kissed, Hanzo unwrapped his lower arms and devested the gloves from his hands. With smooth hands he explored what flesh of Yukimura's torso that was exposed to him before descending to what interested him below.

Yukimura gasped and broke off the kiss in a spasm of pleasure when Hanzo wrapped his hand around Yukimura's length. He thumbed the precum that was pooling at the head and slathered the fluid around before gently beginning to stroke him.

Eyes closed, Yukimura reveled in Hanzo's gentle treatment. Hanzo started to pick up the pace a bit with an alternating rhythm: two long strokes followed by three quick ones. Yukimura moaned again, and felt Hanzo travel downward. His eyes snapped open when he felt the hot rich velvet of Hanzo's mouth engulf him.

"HA-Hanzo!" he rasped. With the same alternating rhythm, Hanzo sucked on Yukimura's throbbing length. Yukimura let his head fall back onto the floor, unable to watch any longer and moan out of control. He then felt his waistguard being shimmied off, and the heavenly pleasure of Hanzo's mouth left him for but a moment as Hanzo pulled the armor off and repositioned himself between Yukimura's thighs. Hanzo pushed them apart as wide as they could go.

The ninja returned to his ministrations with Yukimura's cock to keep the samurai occupied while he brought the touch of his hands down Yukimura's thighs to the fold of his anus. Wetting his fingers with saliva and the rainwater still sticking to them, Hanzo pressed a digit against the unyielding sphincter.

Yukimura yelped and his head shot up at the sensation. Hanzo let go of his dick to give him a mischevious wink of reassurance, to which Yukimura nodded.

Trying again, Hanzo worked on coaxing Yukimura's anus wider with a slick forefinger before attempting to insert the next finger. Yukimura found the sensation incredibly strange, but he wasn't put off about what he was being prepared for. Hanzo continued to stretch and delve deeper with his fingers until he stroked something inside Yukimura that caused him to buck and groan. Hanzo smiled, because at this point he could thrust his fingers easily into Yukimura's ass. He was ready.

Yukimura sighed when Hanzo's fingers left him, but was happy to gaze hazily at Hanzo's athletic form rear up and start ripping damp clothes out from their tucks and folds. He threw off his midnight blue vest, leaving a loose white shirt, and then worked to pull off his own light leather waistguard and puffy britches.

Once sufficiently disrobed, Yukimura oggled at the beauty that was to claim him. Hanzo was gorgeous to the red samurai, more healthy and stronger than any samurai he had known in his long years of service.

Hanzo crawled up Yukimura once again to claim his lips tenderly, and Yukimura fell in love with the way their cocks rubbed against one another. Hanzo reached down to help coat his own dick with what was left of his drying saliva on Yukimura's member before he aligned his head with Yukimura's prepared entrance.

Hanzo broke the kiss and stared into Yukimura's eyes. Yukimura was flattered to interpret the gesture as a question of permission, despite the fact that Hanzo could very well take whatever he wanted at this point.

Yukimura nodded his consent. He then rolled his head back, feeling Hanzo enter and split him with a single thrust.

"Oh, god! God! Han-n-...!" Yukimura groaned in lustful prayer.

Hanzo did not stop until he was to the hilt, after which he pulled out and harshly thrust back in. Yukimura swore as the pain rocked him, but it was beaten back as Hanzo continued to assault him with powerful thrusts and Yukimura found himself moaning everytime Hanzo slammed into him.

Yukimura noted that Hanzo used that same wonderful, alternating rhythm in his thrusts, as if he were playing with him for now. Yukimura felt the pressure in his groin rise higher than he had ever felt with a woman.

"Hanzo..." he moaned. "Please! I need...I'm about to-!" he forced out.

Hanzo picked up Yukimura's thighs and altered the angle slightly, increasing the pace as he did so. His balls slapped audibly against the samurai's buttocks as he abandoned his previous pace and thrust into Yukimura with all the force he was capable of. Simultaneously, Hanzo sneaked his hand inbetween them and stroked Yukimura's length in a blur of violent tugs.

The red samurai grunted loudly at the new position, and reached up to grab Hanzo to pull him down into a bruising kiss. The motion untangled Hanzo's bun and damp mahogany tresses cascaded down and enveloped the two lovers.

Hanzo left Yukimura's pliant lips and turned to kiss the crux of where Yukimura's shoulder met his neck. Hanzo then bit down, and the pressure building in Yukimura finally blew its cork.

Yukimura let forth a beastial, primal growl before exploding in Hanzo's hand, spewing ropes of seed that glazed their torsos. Hanzo, feeling Yukimura's warmth flowing over his knuckles, humped Yukimura frantically until he too grunted and flooded Yukimura's colon with spurts of his own orgasm. He collapsed onto Yukimura.

Outside, the rain pattered softly to a drizzle before ceasing altogether.

* * *

**A/N:** I wasn't sure how exactly Japanese armor fits together, especially when updated to the modernized game outfits of today. Therefore, I left the descriptions vague, and I hope that aspect of this chapter is believable enough! 


	7. Farewell

**A/N:** Hello Readers! Yes, I am afraid to say that this will be the final chapter of this tale.

I want to apologize for the delay in adding the final chapter. I've been without access to the Internet. Also, my time available to write this stuff tends to come as either feast or famine, which sucks. Again, I am so sorry!

Hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have in giving this pairing at least a halfway decent fanfiction.

Enjoy, and until next fic!

* * *

Hanzo was the first to shake off the paralyzing ecstacy that had overloaded both warriors' minds. He pulled out and untangled himself from Yukimura's supine form and quickly went to work on collecting his garments. Before putting them on, he stepped outside to wash himself off as best as he could with a puddle of fresh rainwater. The ninja noted that the weather was still in his favor. Night had descended with a thick fog that blanketed everything within a five-foot radius. 

After dressing, Hanzo returned to the room he had left Yukimura laying in. He saw Yukimura had also come to his senses and was nearly dressed--as well as the red samurai could, anyway. He kept his face tilted downward, obscuring his expression with a damp, black curtain of hair. They were awkwardly aware that neither had yet to say a word.

"Are you still on your mission?" Yukimura finally asked.

As usual, Hanzo postponed giving a reply. He took his time retying his long, loose hair, sculpting it back into a messy bun. Suddenly, he grabbed a segment of his sleeve and violently ripped free a sizable piece of cloth. He folded it carefully into a triangle before wrapping it around his lower face and tying it in the back.

He could feel Yukimura's ki flare. The samurai huffed.

"Answer me!" Yukimura barked. Hanzo smirked.

"Are you still going to try and stop me?" Hanzo asked. The ki vanished, and almost inaudibly Yukimura sighed, and Hanzo was touched to sense heavy disappointment and resignation in such a soft sound. The ninja stepped toward Yukimura and forced the samurai's chin up so he would look at him. Yukimura's hair fell away to reveal the samurai's ferocious stare, though his eyes glistened with something entirely foreign to the ninja. Whatever it was, it compelled Hanzo to lift the corner of his makeshift mask and devour Yukimura's mouth once again.

When they pulled apart, Hanzo's eyes swept over the samurai's face before he reapplied his mask and made his way toward the exit. Yukimura picked up his spear and followed swiftly and stopped to observe the ninja pause in the doorway.

"We both still have only our duty, then. Maybe, in the next life-..." Hanzo cut himself short and shook his head. Without looking back, he leapt like a flea back onto the rooftops and out of sight.

"Hanzo..." Yukimura muttered. He then dashed out the door as well and whistled for his horse. A moment later, his steed appeared out of the thick fog ready to serve. The red samurai mounted and kick-started his horse toward the castle.

* * *

The fog, ironically, had also obscured Osaka Castle from Hanzo, as if the building itself called it down from the heavens as a final line of defense. The ninja had to follow the flames of torches and the sounds of war to home in on his objective. He had lost a lot of time "dealing" with Yukimura, but it seemed there was still enough battle to be fought for Hanzo to execute Hideyoshi in the chaos.

The ninja leapt undetected past the ruined Sanada-maru and caught a glimpse of a tower peeking out of its misty shroud. As he approached, the size and intricacy of it confirmed it to be Osaka Castle. With the aid of his kursarigama, he made his climb to the top tier. He swung, leapt, and slid across the swooping ribs of the majestic structure before making a final somersault and landing silently on the sloping tiles of the roof surrounding the top section. At some point during his ascent, he had escaped the caliginous frothy soup that drowned the city below. A refreshing cool wind kissed his perspiring forehead and played with the loose wisps of his hair.

His senses pricked as he felt an altogether different kind of air current. He lept back instinctually, and barely a split second passed before his cheeks were showered with splinters exploding from where a shuriken impacted the wall beside him.

"Nuh uh uh!"

Hanzo's ears pricked and he turned toward the crowlike call.

"Tch, so the kunoichi is a coward as well, staying at the castle while her comrades die in the mud," Hanzo said, once he realized who it was.

"I was ASSIGNED here, thank you very much! Even I have enough sense and honor to never leave my charge," Kunoichi spat back, readying her twin daggers as she did so.

"So he is here, then? Hideyoshi?"

"You'll never find out."

"Don't be so foolish, girl," With that, Hanzo leapt to the very top of the castle, and Kunoichi followed with equal grace. The height would have been dizzying for anyone who lacked their catlike agility.

Hanzo assumed his battle stance, leaning forward with kusarigama held behind him like a broken wing.

"It's time we ended this little charade," Hanzo said.

"Agreed!" Kunoichi said. Following was a piercing cry and the cherry-blossom ninja dashed toward Hanzo, slashing fiercely and dangerously close to his face and viscera as Hanzo retreated gracefully from her assault. She bounded in unbroken pursuit, counting on a sustained offensive that would chance her opportunity to corner him with the little room that they had upon the sloped crown of the castle.

But Hanzo was swift. He contorted and bounded in nearly every direction conceivable, his senses patiently waiting to pick up on a decisive opportunity. It came when she lunged with both daggers. In an instant, he sidestepped, wrapped the chain of his kusarigama around her middrift, spun her like a top before kicking her away. She was dangerously close to losing her footing as she dizzily stumbled away and attempted to reinflate her lungs after Hanzo's vicious kick. She regained control and the balls of her feet came to rest on the edge of the roof. She shook off her daze in time to see Hanzo rush and make a diving sweep for her legs. She leapt high into the air in time to avoid it.

"Big man of you to play so rough with a sweet little girl like me," she taunted after landing on the apex of the sloping roof.

Rising into his battle stance, he said, "Little bunny rabbits like you should not be ninja, then. I'll not hesitate to skin you alive."

"Sheesh! Someone didn't get enough hugs as a child!" Kunoichi retorted, emphasizing the word 'hugs' with a flick of her wrist as she launched jagged shuriken at the other ninja. Splinters exploded from their impact with the roof, but had Hanzo rolled gracefully out of the way. Then, with his kusarigama readied in front of him, he charged Kunoichi in a ferocious offensive. Kunoichi deflected the giant dragon claw, but the force of his blows pushed her back until she teetered once again on the edge of the roof. They deadlocked, quivering as Hanzo tired to push her off.

"You've got nowhere left to run, little rabbit," Hanzo rasped.

Kunoichi smiled. "For the master's glory," she said cryptically, and then released her resistance. Surprised, Hanzo's strength broke through and he stumbled with Kunoichi off of the edge of the roof. They plummeted toward the ground, but Hanzo maneuvered to hurl his blade in a desperate measure to save himself. It embedded in the crook between the top roof and the outer wall. Hanzo prayed that it would hold as the chain snapped taut under his weight. He started to swing back toward the castle, but the blade slipped from the crook and gravity overtook him once again. He reached out and his empty hand managed to catch hold of the edge of the roofing around the top tier of the building. He strained, dangling from one arm by the tips of his fingers, but his brief panic subsided. He looked down, searching to confirm if his opponent had sense to escape death herself. Unfortunately, all he could see was the fog below.

"How foolish."

With a sharp intake of breath, he channeled his remarkable strength into lifting his body to grab onto the roof with his other hand before swinging back on top of it. He pulled up his life-saving kusarigama blade by the chain like a fishing line and coiled it back into place. He attuned his senses to the stillness before moving on. His eyes darted to the darkened screens wrapping around the top layer of the castle.

* * *

Yukimura coughed and gagged, holding his forearm to his mouth in an attempt to block the hot smoke trying to enter his lungs. He rushed up the next set of steps, bringing him out of the inferno that had begun to consume the castle. He had gone in without a thought for plan or exit strategy. His throat and lungs never stopped burning even as he neared the top of the great tower.

He burst into Hideyoshi's chamber in time to see his master fall to his knees with look of death. It had been sucked out of him by the masked figure revealed behind the fallen leader.

Yukimura, sick physically with lack of oxygen, and mentally with defeat, he wailed his name, "Hanzo!"

Hanzo straightened and spoke a single word. "Flee."

"You know I can't," Yukimura said, exhausted tears breaking up his composure.

Hanzo hesitated.

"I can't!" Yukimura yelled hoarsely, assuming his battle stance and aiming his spear point at Hanzo.

"Please," Hanzo said.

"What we have can never be. There's nothing left now but my honor. Let me at least save that."

Hanzo's chin fell and he closed his eyes. Yukimura's lip quivered before he gave his best battle cry and attacked the ninja. He struck nothing but air as Hanzo's form dematerialized. The room darkened mysteriously as before when Yukimura had first faced Hanzo.

Yukimura's eyes caught the instant flash of a blade. The sound of the air moving tickled his ears. He spun around when he heard Hanzo land behind him, and brought his spear up to parry the incoming kusarigama. Hanzo's form split into numerous shades, encircling the red samurai. Yukimura, in his severely weakened state, could do nothing to anticipate Hanzo's final blow.

"Farewell, Hanzo..." Yukimura uttered wistfully. His red bandana split in half and blood filled his throat. He fell to one knee before he pitched forward and wafted to the floor.

Yukimura Sanada had been slain.

Hanzo reappeared at his feet and looked down at the lifeless shell that formerly belonged to the finest warrior spirit he'd ever encountered. The ninja approached and knelt down to take a hold of the body and turn him over. He then placed one of Yukimura's arms around his shoulder and wedged his own underneath the samurai's knees and lifted him up to carry.

Hanzo heard muffled shouting as he stepped out of Hideyoshi's chambers with his human burden in tow. Hideyoshi's troops within the castle had been alerted to Hanzo's presence by Kunoichi, and she had lead them herself to Hideyoshi's quarters. She and the soldiers stopped when they saw Hanzo carrying Yukimura's deceased form.

"Yuki..." Kunoichi said solemnly. Hanzo did not respond, but halted before her. Reverently, Kunoichi stepped back to allow Hanzo through. Her troops followed suit, and they all parted like grass to let him through. Hanzo carried the samurai all the way to the bottom floor, where it was smokey and hot with smoldering fires, but even that did not seem to phase the ninja. He exited the castle into the surrounding courtyard, where additional soldiers also paused to watch.

Ieyasu had advanced a great distance since Yukimura pulled back. The Tokugawa vanguard had closed in on the castle grounds, and the end was near. He rested on his mount, overseeing the gradual tide of his forces break apart the Toyotomi resistance. He regretted that this battle would cost a great many more lives than he anticipated.

Then, one of his lieutenants appeared and was permitted by Ieyasu's guard to proceed.

"Yes, what is it?" Ieyasu questioned the young man.

"Sir! Reports say that Hanzo has exited the castle with Yukimura!"

"What!" Ieyasu said disbelieving, but he kicked his horse and heedlessly charged to the front. "Halt! Halt!" he shouted. He saw his forces grow still at his command until he reached the front of the castle. "Halt!"

The fighting died down, and there along the dirt path leading to the castle was Hanzo. Ieyasu kicked his horse again and galloped to meet him. The Toyotomi soldiers paused to observe the meeting.

"Hanzo?" Ieyasu questioned.

"I did as I was ordered, master. Hideyoshi is slain. And here," he knelt to set Yukimura gently on the ground, "I offer the last great sacrifice made for the sake of peace."

Ieyasu reverently bowed his head at his words. "Truly, he was Japan's greatest warrior," he said.

Nearby, a Toyotomi foot soldier dropped his weapons, followed by another. And another. Then more did the same until all of them had surrendered.

Ieyasu declared that the Toyotomi forces be spared and permitted to return home. There was no more need for soldiers; the land was now entirely under Tokugawa control.

And as Ieyasu slept in Osaka Castle, Hanzo gazed out over the land under a blazing ivory moon. In his hand, he held a fragment of Yukimura's torn bandana.

"The chaos has ended. The darkness shall vanish."

The ninja cast off his mask, leapt into the night, and faded into history.

** FIN**

* * *


End file.
